Jaguars are paying Donte Moncrief $9.6 million in 2018

If there were any questions as to why the Indianapolis Colts let wide receiver Donte Moncrief walk during free agency, the answer may be in the contract he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Moncrief, whose rookie contract with the Colts expired after the 2017 season, signed a one-year deal with the division-rival Jaguars for a fully-guaranteed $9.6 million contract that also includes $2 million in incentives, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Compensation update: Jaguars' WR Donte Moncrief signed a one-year, $9.6 million, fully-guaranteed contract that also contains another $2 million in incentives.

The Colts have proven to be extremely frugal this offseason as general manager Chris Ballard wants to build the roster through the draft and he has expressed a disinterest in overpaying players simply to fill a need.

While the Colts certainly have a need at wide receiver, especially with the departure of Moncrief, but $9.6 million is definitely out of the range Ballard like had for Moncrief, who is coming off of arguably his worst season since entering the league as a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Battling shoulder and ankle injuries during the final two seasons of his tenure with the Colts, Moncrief only played 19 total games while recording 56 receptions, 698 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in that span.

The Colts have a need for a wide receiver or two but paying Moncrief that much money likely wasn’t in the plans for Ballard and the front office.